Anesthesia management for cesarean section 10 years after heart transplantation: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy after organ transplantation is becoming increasingly common. However, reports of the anesthesia for such patients are rare. Heart transplant recipients are always accompanied with pathophysiological changes and present anesthesiologists with challenge. CASE DESCRIPTION: We reported a case of anesthesia management of gravida undergoing cesarean section 10 years after cardiac transplantation. We used two points spinal and epidural anesthesia, combined with phenylephrine throughout the surgery. The course was absolutely successful and both mother and baby got good results. DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION: Physiology of heart transplant recipients and key points of anesthesia management were discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia can be performed in heart transplant recipients, however, we have to think twice before anesthesia for this kind of patients.